US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday that prevents migrants arriving illegally from Mexico from obtaining political asylum if officials deem their number to be too high.
The order authorises the closure of the border once the seven-day average of illegal migrant crossings from ports of entry along the US-Mexico border reaches 2,500 people per day.
Before Tuesday’s order, an undocumented migrant seeking asylum in the US was usually allowed to enter the country temporarily, before appearing in court to present compelling reasons for the request.